


Squire Renly Baratheon

by jellytot



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash, Renly being Renly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-12
Updated: 2014-03-12
Packaged: 2018-01-15 12:56:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1305619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jellytot/pseuds/jellytot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Renly decides to try his hand at squiring. Loras tries and fails to not be amused.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Squire Renly Baratheon

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea at this point whether Loras being Renly's squire is canon or fanon, but I'm going with it. 
> 
> Also, I know nothing about armor or jousting so please forgive any inaccuracies!

Loras turns his horse around, smiling and waving to the cheering masses, soaking up the appreciation of the crowd. It is his fourth victory of the day in the tourney at King's Landing; his biggest tourney so far as a knight. 

This was his closest fought match so far, with his opponent catching him in the chest hard enough to dent his chest plate and knock him off his balance. However he had righted himself easily enough, and the other knight had not been so lucky. Loras knows that he is very skilled for his young age, and that his opponents underestimate him when they see how very young he is. This is their mistake.

Still grinning at the lords and ladies cheering in the stands, Loras barely glances at his squire as he passes down his shield and helmet to him. It therefore comes as some surprise when a voice that is decidedly not that of his squire says "That was very well fought, Ser Loras," and he slides off of his horse to come face to face with Renly Baratheon, who is clutching the items Loras just handed down to him and grinning broadly. 

Loras instinctively grins back - his instinctive reaction to Renly is always a smile, and he has missed him so much since leaving Storm's End - before he realises that the gleam in Renly's eye is the one that means he is Up To Something. After five years as his squire he is intimately, horribly familiar with that gleam. 

"Where is Aldric?" he asks evenly, eyes narrowing suspiciously at Renly. 

"Oh I sent him on an errand," says Renly, completely unabashed. 

"Why?" Loras asks incredulously. He's not quite sure what he's questioning - there are so many things about that sentence to question - but he opts for; "He's _my_ squire, why is he running errands for _you_?"

"I'm the King's brother," Renly reminds him, wearing that teasing grin that is so amusing when directed at others and so maddening when directed at you. "Everyone's my squire."

" _Why_?" Loras asks again. 

"Oh come on," Renly is pouting now and it is _not_ endearing. "The boy's worse than useless, I won't see you hurt because your squire can't do his job."

Loras fights down the warmth that builds in his chest at the protectiveness underlying Renly's words and fights to remind himself that he is Most Annoyed and that Renly is being Very Frustrating.

"And what am I supposed to do then?" he inquires of Renly. "Squire for myself?"

" _No_ ," says Renly, with a roll of his eyes and in a voice that suggests Loras is being especially thick. He performs an exaggerated bow. "Squire Renly Baratheon at your service, Ser." 

Torn between a groan of frustration, a sigh of exasperation, and a laugh, Loras makes a rather undignified snorting noise. 

"Now lets get you some fresh armor." And with that, Renly sweeps off into Loras' tent. Apparently, this is happening. Loras stands rooted to the spot, blinking dumbly at the place where Renly had stood for several moments, before following.

"And if Aldric's worse than useless then what are you?" he demands, stepping into the tent where Renly is already laying out new armor for him. "More worse than useless?"

" 'More worse' is appalling grammar," Renly informs him cheerfully. 

"Renly," Loras puts on his best stern voice, for all the good it's ever done him, "You've never squired for anyone."

"True," Renly says, sounding supremely unconcerned. He turns to Loras and flashes his most charming smile. " _But_ I had the pleasure of five years with one of the best squires I've ever come across, who is now a very promising young knight. I like to think I picked up a few things." 

Loras rolls his eyes. He tries not to let the flattery affect him. He knows Renly well enough, has seen him pulls this trick enough times with everyone from lords to serving girls, to see it for what it is. However, he also knows Renly well enough to know that he means what he says, and, more importantly, that he won't give up once he has a notion in his head. 

"Very well," he says, fighting to keep his voice disapproving rather than affectionate. "Quickly then, my next match starts soon."

Renly helps him out of his battered and dented armor, and begins to fasten the new set in place. Loras does his best to ignore the way his blood rushes in his ears and his cheeks burn, the way that being up close to Renly always affects him. What with it being over a year since he squired for Renly, he's out of practice at ignoring his responses. 

To give Renly his credit, he is doing far better than Loras imagined he would at fastening the armor. That is until - "It goes the other way," Loras points out, smirking as Renly tries to fasten an armguard upside-down. 

"Well done," says Renly, not missing a beat as he flips the armguard right-way-up. He locks eyes with Loras and grins, "I was testing you."

This time Loras does not attempt to stop the laugh that bubbles out of his chest. It is always so very easy to laugh around Renly. "You are ridiculous,"he informs him fondly, and Renly beams at him. 

The rest of the armor is fastened largely without incident, and with many grins passed between them. When Renly is finished, Loras reluctantly steps away from him and crosses the tent to collect his shield. 

"So how did I do?" Renly asks, his casual tone covering a true need for encouragement and praise which Loras thinks he may be the only person to recognise in him.

"Well!" he exclaims sincerely, turning to smile at his friend. "Much better than I thought you would. Although," he keeps his tone lightly chastising, "next time you want to try something new, perhaps you could do it when my tourney, and possibly my life, doesn't depend on your success?" 

Renly rolls his eyes good-naturedly. "And people say _I_ have a tendency for dramatics." 

And then all at once he isn't smiling. He crosses the tent to Loras in a few quick strides and the air is suddenly heavy with _something_. He places his hands on Loras' shoulders and looks directly into his eyes and his voice is as serious as Loras has ever heard it when he says, "I would never do anything to harm you." 

"I know," Loras whispers. And Loras thinks that he could kiss Renly right now, kiss him like he so nearly did so many times at Storm's End. But this is different. It is different because there is no longer tomorrow to see him, to kiss him. Because he has missed Renly so very much, and doesn't know how long it will be before he sees him again once the tourney is over. It is different because he is older and braver, he is a _knight_ now and he doesn't want to deny this any longer. And he is leaning in towards Renly, feeling like he is on the edge of something big and terrifying and wonderful and...

The second before their lips meet his name is called from just outside his tent, and Renly turns aside to pick up his helmet from the table and place it gently on his head, instantly casual and jovial again. When Loras doesn't move, Renly gives him a small shove and he stumbles dazedly from his tent, mind still full of Renly's lips so very close to his. 

"Good luck, Ser Loras," Renly beams at him as Loras somehow scrambles onto his horse and takes his lance from Renly in a shaky grip. Five seconds later he is lying in the dirt with a severely bruised shoulder and a more severely bruised ego. 

He does not speak to Renly for the rest of the day.


End file.
